Another gig bag post!!! Mono or Gigblade 2 or ...

V

vgbassman

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Jan 16, 2016
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#1
Alright alright... I know ... another gig bag post... but honestly... after reading as much as I could.. I still could not find the right answer... so I decided to start a new post after all...

I am looking to buy a gig bag after all, after using hard shell cases all this time... I think a gig bag is much more convenient if not traveling by air or greyhound...

So... I have narrowed my search down to a few gig bags... not in order of preference...

# Mono M80 bag - Seems like the most reviewed, praised, useful, durable, all rounder bag. Has good storage space; rugged. Not light.. thoughts on weight? $229

# Mono Vertigo - The boot and top loading design... make it seem more practical and durable while giving up on storage space... also, I haven't seen one in person but how heavy is it? $250

# Gruv gear Gigblade 2 - seems like a neat bag... So far when I have carried a gig bag (cheap ones), I usually tend to carry them on one shoulder (I don't do long distance or subway rides) and the gig blade seems to have been designed to be carried on one shoulder... I haven't seen much love for it on TB or very few people have much experience with it... so cannot get much real life feedback on this case... What I like about it besides it's design departure from standard, is that it seems to have a reasonable amount of space, a side pocket for a leather strap (I use a 4" leather strap and it doesn't fit any of my hardshell cases due to stiffness and size) which I think is a plus... Other than that, it seems to have been designed by a bass player... I read somewhere that the length can be a problem going down the stairs... still looking for input... $200

# Fender FB1225 - Now this one I saw by accident... at Guitar yesterday a couple of days ago... I actually saw the guitar bag. It was very impressive - very light, well padded, rugged construction, water proof/resistant... storage space seemed limited but I would think, comparable to Mono Vertigo.. $99

# Road Runner RR2EB - Now, I got this gig bag for my son who plays guitar... I get a good deal on it and hadn't really looked into gig bags much before this... this bag is surprisingly good with good padding, support, storage. Very well worth the price without the "name" $65

# Gator Transit - similar story as the Road runner... great bag but just personally, for 99 bucks, I would rather get the Fender FB1225 to put my Fender jazz in... ;) $99

So...
- just for clarification ... I have a few gig bags that I have owned which came with basses or guitars.. I just never felt safe or confident carrying an expensive bass in... until the Mono came along and others which have followed suit.. so a gig bag actually makes sense for me now... or I am trying to make sense of it all..
- My biggest issue with gig bags has always been the base.. I am surprised they never thought of this ... so with that regard, all the above mentioned cases have reasonable padding at the base but the Vertigo seems to really excel at that.. so it sounds tempting but that price is also ridiculous... I understand that for people living in NYC or other cities where they are gigging frequently and are in and out of subways, this is totally the right case.. but for just car to home and car to rehearsal... do I need that much protection (I do!!! but not sure for 250 bucks though... and then make need to buy the "tick" after all)...

Thoughts??? Please help me pick one of the above!!!

Thank you

Vik
 
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#2
vgbassman said:
Alright alright... I know ... another gig bag post... but honestly... after reading as much as I could.. I still could not find the right answer... so I decided to start a new post after all...

I am looking to buy a gig bag after all, after using hard shell cases all this time... I think a gig bag is much more convenient if not traveling by air or greyhound...

So... I have narrowed my search down to a few gig bags... not in order of preference...

# Mono M80 bag - Seems like the most reviewed, praised, useful, durable, all rounder bag. Has good storage space; rugged. Not light.. thoughts on weight? $229

# Mono Vertigo - The boot and top loading design... make it seem more practical and durable while giving up on storage space... also, I haven't seen one in person but how heavy is it? $250

# Gruv gear Gigblade 2 - seems like a neat bag... So far when I have carried a gig bag (cheap ones), I usually tend to carry them on one shoulder (I don't do long distance or subway rides) and the gig blade seems to have been designed to be carried on one shoulder... I haven't seen much love for it on TB or very few people have much experience with it... so cannot get much real life feedback on this case... What I like about it besides it's design departure from standard, is that it seems to have a reasonable amount of space, a side pocket for a leather strap (I use a 4" leather strap and it doesn't fit any of my hardshell cases due to stiffness and size) which I think is a plus... Other than that, it seems to have been designed by a bass player... I read somewhere that the length can be a problem going down the stairs... still looking for input... $200

# Fender FB1225 - Now this one I saw by accident... at Guitar yesterday a couple of days ago... I actually saw the guitar bag. It was very impressive - very light, well padded, rugged construction, water proof/resistant... storage space seemed limited but I would think, comparable to Mono Vertigo.. $99

# Road Runner RR2EB - Now, I got this gig bag for my son who plays guitar... I get a good deal on it and hadn't really looked into gig bags much before this... this bag is surprisingly good with good padding, support, storage. Very well worth the price without the "name" $65

# Gator Transit - similar story as the Road runner... great bag but just personally, for 99 bucks, I would rather get the Fender FB1225 to put my Fender jazz in... ;) $99

So...
- just for clarification ... I have a few gig bags that I have owned which came with basses or guitars.. I just never felt safe or confident carrying an expensive bass in... until the Mono came along and others which have followed suit.. so a gig bag actually makes sense for me now... or I am trying to make sense of it all..
- My biggest issue with gig bags has always been the base.. I am surprised they never thought of this ... so with that regard, all the above mentioned cases have reasonable padding at the base but the Vertigo seems to really excel at that.. so it sounds tempting but that price is also ridiculous... I understand that for people living in NYC or other cities where they are gigging frequently and are in and out of subways, this is totally the right case.. but for just car to home and car to rehearsal... do I need that much protection (I do!!! but not sure for 250 bucks though... and then make need to buy the "tick" after all)...

Thoughts???

Thank you

Vik
Click to expand...
I have experience with the MONO cases and the Gator Transit. To tackle the MONO cases first, both the Vertigo and the M80 are truly excellent, and both will serve you very well. Yes, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for. There are some differences in features, and those will ultimately decide which one is best for you.

The MONO M80 is a traditional design, slightly lighter than the Vertigo at 5.75lbs. Being a traditional design it has the normal type of closure, and works best if you lay it flat on the floor when inserting or removing your bass. The padding is great all round, and the bottom padding has room for the strap button, to avoid damage in this area. The Headlock system is fairly traditional, too, with a large velcro'ed flap to hold the neck in place, which also has a picket for picks and the like. The storage is well organized, with a large main pocket, and a "hidden" pocket at the top of the bag. The top pocket has compartments for pens, business cards and a carabiner for keys, the main pocket has a velcro loop for your instrument cable and a small zippered inside pocket for sundries. The shoulder straps can be unhooked at the bottom and stashed into a pocket at the rear, turning it into a hand-held soft case. All handles and straps are riveted for security. The M80 is a very comfortable carry.

The MONO Vertigo has a top-loading design, which makes it super convenient, especially on narrow stages or in tight rehearsal spaces. Just stand it upright, unzip the main zipper, and insert or remove your bass. The redesigned Headlock system automatically grips the neck of your bass tightly when the zipper is closed. The top-loading feature also allows the Boot, the textured plastic sole on the bottom. This affords great protection for the bass, and lets you put it down almost anywhere in all kinds of weather with complete confidence. The storage is simpler than on the M80, but contrary to appearances there's far more room. it consists of a large main pocket with a smaller zippered mesh pocket on the inside. There is no option to hide the shoulder straps. It's a slightly heavier bag than the M80, at just over 6lbs.

The Gator Transit is a simpler bag all round, but the padding is still good, almost as good as on the MONO offerings. It weighs a little less, about 5lbs, so it's fairly light. There is no system for locking the neck in place, but there is a decent foam cradle that works well enough. There is extra inside padding on the bottom and top of the bag, so the bass is well protected. The storage is fairly basic, with a reasonably large main pocket, and an extra zippered pocket in an otherwise slightly unnecessary flap. This is fastened by a g-type buckle, but this has an annoying tendency to come undone. This isn't a huge deal, however, as the main pocket is zippered also. There is also an additional pocket at the top, but this will really only accomodate small flat items. The shoulder straps can be removed completely, but the clips that hold them in place are plastic, which is a concern. I've heard stories of these clips breaking, and although mine are holding up well so far, I'm a little wary of overloading the bag because of this. The transit is about half the price of the MONO cases, while offering almost as much protection, and as such is very good value.

My own personal opinion is that for the ultimate in protection and convenience of design, the M80 and Vertigo win hands down. Which one you choose will mostly come down to if you prefer a top-loading design, or a traditional one. Storage isn't really that much of an issue, especially as you can add the Tick to both of them if required. They're costly, but they'll protect your precious instrument better than anything else on the market, and last forever. MONO customer service is also second to none.

For the more economically minded, the Gator Transit is a more than reasonable alternative, and if handled carefully, will serve you well.
 
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#3
I recently went through the same process, enough to make your head explode. After much reading I settled on a Gator ProGo, about 6.5 pounds and looks like a lot of protection for $150.00, kinda splits the difference between the transit and the Mono. It should be here by next Friday, I will do a review after I receive it.
Edited, This will be for my guitars.
 
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#5
Im trusting my Alembic omega cut out to the gigblade 2. Seems very solid, it is big and the only bag I
could fin that will fit the Alembic. Heres a photo...
20180426_205026.jpg
 
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#10
I hate all gig bags with the straps mounted down by the body. Makes me feel like Herman Munster. I ended up getting the Gigblade Sliver. Does not have a whole lot of storage room, but I don't need a lot of storage room. Does have the strap storage pouch, though. Has a few different ways to hook the strap on, plus they sell an optional second strap. Much easier to tote on your shoulder than it looks like it would be, but I got the second strap because I prefer toting it with two straps when walking long distances.
 
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#12
I’m with @JimmyM on this one. I use the Gigblade Silver, and it’s great. So much easier to carry than the traditional design, especially if you’re going short distances and don’t want to go all in with the double backpack straps. I’ve never had trouble going up or down stairs with it, although I used to always have issues hitting the top of a traditional bag on a ceiling when going up stairs. From an ease-of-carry perspective, it’s the clear winner.
 
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#13
Freddie B said:
I've read that the bags that are top loading messes with the finish and knocks the knobs off kilter a little
Click to expand...
What do you mean by top loading? You mean a zipper that opens down the side and you slip it in that way? Simple solution...open it wide enough to keep it from hitting the finish and the knobs.
 
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#16
JimmyM said:
What do you mean by top loading? You mean a zipper that opens down the side and you slip it in that way? Simple solution...open it wide enough to keep it from hitting the finish and the knobs.
Click to expand...
I think he’s referring to the Mono Vertigo. Since the zipper only covers the top half of the bag, you slide the bass in vertically (hence the name). Theoretically at least, knobs can be turned a little when the bass slides down to the bottom of the bag. In practice, I’ve never experienced it. If there’s a lot of stuff in the main pocket, it can flip lever switches, if your bass has any, but it’s hardly what I’d call a problem.
 
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#18
I only top load and unload my GigBlade2 a few times a week and no issues.
Be graceful on your insertions and pull outs and all is good.

Love the side carry, doors and stairs are no problem. Also understand that having all the weight on one side is not for everyone.

Front pocket holds my music book, strap and cables. The top pouch holds my tuner pedal, pencil, nail clippers, batteries, in ears and banana beautifully.
Not having to bend over for the small accessories is fantastic.
 
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#20
JakobT said:
I think he’s referring to the Mono Vertigo. Since the zipper only covers the top half of the bag, you slide the bass in vertically (hence the name). Theoretically at least, knobs can be turned a little when the bass slides down to the bottom of the bag. In practice, I’ve never experienced it. If there’s a lot of stuff in the main pocket, it can flip lever switches, if your bass has any, but it’s hardly what I’d call a problem.
Click to expand...
I finally took a look at that bag. All I can say is "why?"
 
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